1 00:00:15,02 --> 00:00:19,61 I want to thank everybody for attending this community event to advocate for 2 00:00:19,62 --> 00:00:24,66 medical marijuana patient rights in Washington State the theme this afternoon is 3 00:00:24,75 --> 00:00:29,62 safe affordable access for medical marijuana patients in Washington state that 4 00:00:29,63 --> 00:00:34,34 might not mean the same thing to everybody but all of our speakers today agree that 5 00:00:34,35 --> 00:00:37,34 patients will not be served by all of the recommendations that have been offered by 6 00:00:37,35 --> 00:00:41,56 the Washington State Liquor Control work group. It's not 7 00:00:41,57 --> 00:00:45,13 a simple thing to undo decades almost 8 00:00:45,14 --> 00:00:52,05 a century of unjust illogical drug policy and you are not miracle 9 00:00:52,06 --> 00:00:56,09 workers but it's been a year since the implementation implementation of I five 10 00:00:56,10 --> 00:01:00,14 o two and we're hoping that we can find some common ground on this issue of 11 00:01:00,15 --> 00:01:05,18 patients' rights next summer bring up Alex Cooley from solstice and chair of the 12 00:01:05,22 --> 00:01:06,58 C.C.S. See please give 13 00:01:06,59 --> 00:01:12,69 a warm hand. I want to speak to you today about some of the steps forward in what 14 00:01:12,70 --> 00:01:17,40 we're dealing with in regards to medical cannabis not necessarily what I five zero 15 00:01:17,41 --> 00:01:24,01 to bring to the state. My biggest concerns at this point in time are reliable safe 16 00:01:24,02 --> 00:01:30,98 access as well as patient cultivation my biggest concerns are the proposed 17 00:01:30,99 --> 00:01:35,95 recommendations as it is for many persons first and foremost for myself as 18 00:01:35,96 --> 00:01:40,05 a cultivator as a business person as well as 19 00:01:40,06 --> 00:01:46,29 a patient my biggest concerns are with the recommendations of growth and 20 00:01:46,55 --> 00:01:53,44 possession. As described it is to have be six plants three mature three mature 21 00:01:53,73 --> 00:01:59,30 and I am very much so about the math and possessions amounts of three ounces does 22 00:01:59,31 --> 00:02:03,28 not equate to an appropriate sixty day supply as 23 00:02:03,29 --> 00:02:09,02 a perpetual cultivator I know that with three flowering plants at one time you can 24 00:02:09,03 --> 00:02:12,22 harvest three flowering plants in two months which is 25 00:02:12,23 --> 00:02:14,47 a standard cycle which will only yield 26 00:02:14,48 --> 00:02:19,11 a patient nine ounces in their sixty day period which is not 27 00:02:19,25 --> 00:02:25,11 a very far cry from what is currently allowed being twenty four ounces which some 28 00:02:25,12 --> 00:02:31,15 persons may even say is inappropriate and even low if you juice or you use infused 29 00:02:31,16 --> 00:02:37,99 products thank you 30 00:02:38,28 --> 00:02:44,14 what is even more of an egregious recommendation given some people don't know how 31 00:02:44,15 --> 00:02:49,99 to do math and they don't know cultivation and I understand that is the taxes these 32 00:02:50,00 --> 00:02:54,38 recommendations are to create a robust and regulated system which I have been 33 00:02:54,39 --> 00:02:58,44 a proponent of my entire career. If we create 34 00:02:58,45 --> 00:03:05,29 a robust parallel or singular system why is it we must tax patients 35 00:03:05,35 --> 00:03:09,93 with three tiers of twenty five percent excise it is what is completely 36 00:03:09,94 --> 00:03:15,39 inappropriate again goes back to the inability to do math you can back out taxes 37 00:03:15,61 --> 00:03:20,60 you can make sure that patients are not paying tax as it is with any pharmaceutical 38 00:03:20,64 --> 00:03:24,61 or recommended drug by a physician I'm prescribe Ecan 39 00:03:24,62 --> 00:03:29,99 a show other herbal drugs from baster center for natural health I pay no taxes it 40 00:03:30,00 --> 00:03:36,96 should be the same for medical cannabis if we're truly. If we're 41 00:03:36,97 --> 00:03:39,90 truly going to treat this like a medicine we should treat it like 42 00:03:39,94 --> 00:03:44,68 a medicine and that is no taxes. I have been 43 00:03:44,69 --> 00:03:51,45 a huge proponent of taxes my career I pay city state federal every single 44 00:03:51,46 --> 00:03:57,04 tax I can pay just to make myself more legitimate but we are in an era of 45 00:03:57,05 --> 00:04:00,77 legitimacy for the cannabis plant so let's treat it legitimately if it is 46 00:04:00,78 --> 00:04:07,62 a medicine which is no tax. Thank the other is 47 00:04:07,66 --> 00:04:11,93 something that I have been dealing with with the Liquor Control Board on I five 48 00:04:11,94 --> 00:04:18,66 zero two in general but also understanding moving forward for transition is that 49 00:04:18,70 --> 00:04:23,82 we have no appropriate way to transition current effective providers into whatever 50 00:04:23,83 --> 00:04:25,82 system may be regulated there's 51 00:04:25,83 --> 00:04:30,63 a reason why Colorado allows medical persons first so we need to understand 52 00:04:30,64 --> 00:04:37,02 a better transition program for current providers the last is the next steps. There 53 00:04:37,03 --> 00:04:42,64 will be legislation based on these recommendations it is our responsibility to put 54 00:04:42,65 --> 00:04:47,02 forth opposing regulations and opposing legislation in order to get an 55 00:04:47,03 --> 00:04:51,96 appropriately regulated system for medical cannabis patients ones that they have 56 00:04:51,97 --> 00:04:53,42 truly deserve for such 57 00:04:53,43 --> 00:04:58,00 a long period of time and we came so close to having in two thousand and eleven I 58 00:04:58,01 --> 00:05:01,89 think all of you for all of your hard work and I look forward to working with you 59 00:05:02,11 --> 00:05:07,39 in the coming legislative session in the coming years thank you so much. Thank you 60 00:05:07,40 --> 00:05:13,08 given the love that you had the idea to bring all these people together today I 61 00:05:13,09 --> 00:05:15,78 will apologize in advance I'm going to have to leave in 62 00:05:15,79 --> 00:05:21,53 a few minutes my mother is set for Ginnie Mae someone blocks from here and we don't 63 00:05:21,54 --> 00:05:25,57 know if she's going to come out of the hospital alive so I'm heading back there 64 00:05:25,83 --> 00:05:26,43 she's lived 65 00:05:26,44 --> 00:05:33,47 a very long and very good life she's also had intractable pain very severely 66 00:05:33,48 --> 00:05:40,47 for many many years but cannot get past the stigma of using medical marijuana 67 00:05:40,48 --> 00:05:46,91 so has not I'm hoping that we have what we are able to achieve in this state 68 00:05:47,11 --> 00:05:52,54 will ensure that no one has to make that decision because there will be no more 69 00:05:52,55 --> 00:05:59,27 stigma for using medical marijuana. And that's 70 00:05:59,28 --> 00:06:04,97 a process but I am amazed at how far we've come I started working on this issue 71 00:06:04,98 --> 00:06:10,72 with Joanna McKee in one nine hundred ninety five I have had bills almost every 72 00:06:10,73 --> 00:06:17,38 years since then and I've tried very very hard to ensure that legitimate qualified 73 00:06:17,39 --> 00:06:19,85 patients have access to 74 00:06:19,86 --> 00:06:26,21 a safe reliable secure source of their medicine and that's what has 75 00:06:26,49 --> 00:06:33,07 been behind everything that I have done I do know however that there is 76 00:06:33,08 --> 00:06:38,13 a lot of division in the medical marijuana. Energies and I'm asking people to 77 00:06:38,14 --> 00:06:44,97 really do is ban mansion to come together and not make assumptions that 78 00:06:44,98 --> 00:06:51,61 people are evil or do not have the best interest of patients at heart when they 79 00:06:51,62 --> 00:06:55,38 have maybe some different ideas about what the best approach is it's 80 00:06:55,39 --> 00:07:01,54 a public policy maker I have to also look at what's politically possible and make 81 00:07:01,58 --> 00:07:06,37 all the advances we can but to be realistic about it we have 82 00:07:06,38 --> 00:07:10,61 a sixty day very short legislative session coming up there will be 83 00:07:10,62 --> 00:07:16,99 a wide array of bills I am sure starting off with repealing all the medical 84 00:07:17,00 --> 00:07:23,06 marijuana statute because they don't people don't need that anymore because of five 85 00:07:23,07 --> 00:07:28,10 five zero two stores now I don't agree with that I will be. 86 00:07:33,65 --> 00:07:39,94 I will be introducing legislation I'm still working on it but I do appreciate the 87 00:07:39,95 --> 00:07:44,65 recommendations for the most part that the control board came up with not all of 88 00:07:44,66 --> 00:07:49,99 them and I will have some differences in my legislation I am pleased that they have 89 00:07:49,100 --> 00:07:56,53 now decided that home grows will be OK. I I will have that in my legislation 90 00:07:56,81 --> 00:08:03,59 and I also believe that we should have some group grows smaller than exists 91 00:08:03,60 --> 00:08:06,91 now but some small group grows and you will hear. 92 00:08:10,85 --> 00:08:15,31 You will hear later on from Ryan who is the father of 93 00:08:15,32 --> 00:08:20,92 a five year old little boy who has epileptic seizures and they have been able to 94 00:08:20,93 --> 00:08:27,91 find relief from his little son. Through marijuana usage rather 95 00:08:27,92 --> 00:08:32,100 than through prescribed medication and I want to do everything I can to make sure 96 00:08:33,27 --> 00:08:39,51 that his little boy is able to get the medication. And that benefits him now he 97 00:08:40,41 --> 00:08:46,09 may not I'm not sure may not want to home grow many parents do not when there are 98 00:08:46,10 --> 00:08:48,49 children at home so they do need 99 00:08:48,50 --> 00:08:53,48 a designated provider they can benefit from small group grows because so much 100 00:08:53,49 --> 00:08:59,53 experimentation has taken place and will continue to take place to come up with the 101 00:08:59,54 --> 00:09:06,34 right therapeutic amounts for these patients. Some 102 00:09:06,35 --> 00:09:10,94 patients will want to go to the I five or two stores the like the convenience 103 00:09:10,95 --> 00:09:16,52 they'll like the quality control assurance but I think what we need to do is have 104 00:09:16,83 --> 00:09:23,83 some of an endorsement or certification on those I five go to stores that 105 00:09:23,84 --> 00:09:30,67 do choose to provide the strains and variety of medical marijuana 106 00:09:30,74 --> 00:09:34,49 for their for the individuals to come in and I think there should be 107 00:09:34,50 --> 00:09:40,76 a chain staff on board and I do think as well that we need to address the issues 108 00:09:41,36 --> 00:09:47,51 of distance from schools and playgrounds and other sources other areas it's not 109 00:09:47,52 --> 00:09:54,12 realistic in the city of Seattle to only have twenty one I five or two stores and 110 00:09:54,13 --> 00:09:59,65 I'm looking at pursuing a having medical only I five 111 00:09:59,66 --> 00:10:06,16 o two stores be allowed and have extra amounts or extra stores 112 00:10:06,17 --> 00:10:12,78 additional stores for those medical only ones based on need in the local 113 00:10:12,79 --> 00:10:19,15 jurisdiction and these would not have markings or signage and I would like them to 114 00:10:19,16 --> 00:10:25,91 be able to be closer than one thousand feet as one travels around freeways and 115 00:10:25,92 --> 00:10:32,65 around blocks not as the crow flies based on the federal sentencing guidelines 116 00:10:33,26 --> 00:10:39,92 rules that allow for. That do not allow for medical 117 00:10:40,51 --> 00:10:47,39 marijuana or any such jog from schools and playgrounds but not transit stations 118 00:10:47,40 --> 00:10:51,38 and others areas that are included in I five a two we'd have to get 119 00:10:51,39 --> 00:10:58,34 a federal waiver for that. I also believe that. A patients 120 00:10:58,44 --> 00:10:58,99 should have 121 00:10:59,00 --> 00:11:05,80 a rest protection as well as an affirmative defense retention arrest offense 122 00:11:05,89 --> 00:11:12,52 arrest protection if they are able to have their medical health professional. 123 00:11:13,79 --> 00:11:16,34 Placed their name on not in 124 00:11:16,35 --> 00:11:21,79 a registry we're working that out but with the State Department of Health where 125 00:11:21,83 --> 00:11:27,88 a patient authorization card would be provided to the patient to the designated 126 00:11:27,89 --> 00:11:32,95 provider which would allow that home growing to take place which would allow 127 00:11:32,99 --> 00:11:39,05 a complete tax exemption from the excise tax of the I five zero two stores and 128 00:11:39,06 --> 00:11:45,59 which would allow full arrest protection so these are some of the things that I am 129 00:11:45,60 --> 00:11:51,31 looking at I appreciate all of the assistance that so many of you have provided to 130 00:11:51,32 --> 00:11:57,86 me and just in closing again let's keep our eye on what we can 131 00:11:57,87 --> 00:12:04,87 gain and what we can do in preserving the rights that we have now for patients 132 00:12:05,19 --> 00:12:10,46 let's not attack people for bringing out some ideas that may be 133 00:12:10,47 --> 00:12:16,03 a little different than what you might think is appropriate or we could end up with 134 00:12:16,04 --> 00:12:22,86 nothing thank you very much. Never ever lose sight of what 135 00:12:23,06 --> 00:12:29,22 the enemy is and that's prohibition and let me just tell you how prohibition can I 136 00:12:29,23 --> 00:12:30,30 promise you in 137 00:12:30,31 --> 00:12:36,07 a very short order raise its ugly head again first of all if you're waiting if 138 00:12:36,08 --> 00:12:41,71 you're waiting for Congress to act to modify the Controlled Substances Act to 139 00:12:41,75 --> 00:12:44,60 reschedule marijuana you're going to be waiting 140 00:12:44,65 --> 00:12:48,75 a long long time they can't even balance the budget. 141 00:12:51,94 --> 00:12:56,57 How is it going to happen it may happen here in Washington State we already have 142 00:12:56,58 --> 00:13:02,57 some cities unlike Seattle that have said we want to ban not only five 143 00:13:02,58 --> 00:13:06,77 o two facilities but medical marijuana facilities the city of Kent the city of 144 00:13:06,78 --> 00:13:13,66 Yakima Pierce County and how about right here in King County the NIMBYs were out in 145 00:13:13,67 --> 00:13:18,70 force and they got the King County Council to say no processing plant in Redmond 146 00:13:18,71 --> 00:13:25,11 ridge that happened here in King County and so if you want to spend time wondering 147 00:13:25,12 --> 00:13:30,50 who the enemy is it's prohibition it's losing the battle that we have won so far 148 00:13:30,55 --> 00:13:37,55 and recognizing that it's not over what I want you to do is to think about how 149 00:13:37,70 --> 00:13:38,33 I five O. 150 00:13:38,34 --> 00:13:44,01 Two can can be imperiled by division within the community and how the proponents of 151 00:13:44,02 --> 00:13:50,72 prohibition are clamoring for that division to stay alive and to keep fighting they 152 00:13:50,74 --> 00:13:56,31 want you to fight with each other they want to be able to reassert prohibition they 153 00:13:56,31 --> 00:14:00,20 want five o two to fail you have 154 00:14:00,21 --> 00:14:04,99 a wonderful leader and Senator Jeannie Kohl wells five zero two is perfectly 155 00:14:04,100 --> 00:14:05,88 consistent with 156 00:14:05,92 --> 00:14:11,49 a separate licensing system for medical marijuana whatever remedies are fashion in 157 00:14:11,50 --> 00:14:16,83 the legislature work with your legislators work with Senator Kohl wells the city of 158 00:14:16,84 --> 00:14:22,48 Seattle has said very clearly we simply want a state license it doesn't have to be 159 00:14:22,49 --> 00:14:25,18 a five zero two license. It can be 160 00:14:25,19 --> 00:14:29,15 a state license that's for medical marijuana but in the meantime I want to close 161 00:14:29,16 --> 00:14:33,94 with this and I appreciate that the speakers were all asked to be pretty short and 162 00:14:33,95 --> 00:14:39,26 to the point because it is so critically important that everyone remember the enemy 163 00:14:39,27 --> 00:14:43,32 is prohibition and what we should be doing is going at that enemy on the united 164 00:14:43,33 --> 00:14:48,07 fronts and so if the medical community can at the same time work with the 165 00:14:48,08 --> 00:14:53,39 legislature to see what kinds of licensing and regulations would be appropriate for 166 00:14:53,40 --> 00:14:58,95 the medical marijuana industry at the same time all of you authorize users everyone 167 00:14:58,96 --> 00:15:01,52 that is a designated provider look at 168 00:15:01,53 --> 00:15:06,57 a five zero two license we need to get medical facilities licensed to five 169 00:15:06,58 --> 00:15:08,95 o two this perfectly compatible with 170 00:15:08,96 --> 00:15:15,08 a dedicated marijuana supply system look into that look into your options don't be 171 00:15:15,09 --> 00:15:20,07 shut out. We have asked the city of Seattle has asked that the Liquor Control Board 172 00:15:20,08 --> 00:15:25,16 give medical marijuana preference in licensing we know that they have far too few 173 00:15:25,17 --> 00:15:29,42 licenses designated across the state and especially in the city of Seattle we're 174 00:15:29,43 --> 00:15:33,08 going to continue fighting to make sure that we meet both recreational and medical 175 00:15:33,09 --> 00:15:38,27 demand but it is so important that no one in this room leave thinking that 176 00:15:38,48 --> 00:15:43,42 prohibition is a thing of the past it is clamoring to come back it is looking for 177 00:15:43,43 --> 00:15:47,51 a division in the community and unless we all pull together they will get their 178 00:15:47,52 --> 00:15:52,07 wish they will get their wish in the new year so let's all pull together let's 179 00:15:52,08 --> 00:15:56,34 recognize the new freedoms that we struck and thank you for all of your efforts all 180 00:15:56,35 --> 00:16:01,21 of the work that as it has been built upon all of your decades your decades of 181 00:16:01,22 --> 00:16:08,17 activism and let's not stop now thanks. Thank 182 00:16:08,18 --> 00:16:12,22 you thank you. His name isn't patients and I have 183 00:16:12,23 --> 00:16:19,17 a voice I was in my single grandson twenty six years ago and I didn't 184 00:16:19,18 --> 00:16:23,65 know why that happened a lot of people tell me then God saved me and for 185 00:16:23,66 --> 00:16:30,35 a reason and I didn't know him with that reason winds for about ten herons but 186 00:16:30,36 --> 00:16:35,74 about ten years after that I was arrested for growing medical marijuana in my home 187 00:16:36,23 --> 00:16:42,16 and I mean lines my my life and I sing the ones I've had no choice and need medical 188 00:16:42,17 --> 00:16:45,11 marijuana to survive and to be in 189 00:16:45,12 --> 00:16:50,02 a functioning human being and then we all know the value and then of the marijuana 190 00:16:50,21 --> 00:16:55,17 but I've been living this way and one time I was first arrested for growing in one 191 00:16:55,18 --> 00:17:00,96 nine hundred ninety six I went through jus years of leaving bends and first 192 00:17:00,97 --> 00:17:07,54 a medical necessity to try and see in nineteen ninety seven after I 193 00:17:07,55 --> 00:17:14,08 proved the value of Camaro in one corner and. There's someone to put me and Sam for 194 00:17:14,09 --> 00:17:20,41 ninety days OK when I was freed I was freed by the public outcry. 195 00:17:21,51 --> 00:17:22,01 That is 196 00:17:22,02 --> 00:17:27,19 a very important lesson that we should all remember we have the power the power of 197 00:17:27,20 --> 00:17:32,38 the people the power of The Voice stand up for your rights this is the time it's 198 00:17:32,39 --> 00:17:33,88 a very important lesson. 199 00:17:40,31 --> 00:17:47,16 As Al Gore pointed out the Chinese word for crisis and on so means 200 00:17:47,28 --> 00:17:54,22 I personally today it's another big lies and I remember my doctor find the man 201 00:17:54,23 --> 00:18:00,72 of the use out of nine hundred ninety eight I founded and I find collected and 202 00:18:00,73 --> 00:18:06,35 ninety ninety nine. And we may not pay since I think patients ever since. 203 00:18:14,09 --> 00:18:20,41 Some of you may know my friend of mine. She built websites she had to manage like 204 00:18:20,49 --> 00:18:27,18 mine and reason years we didn't know why she was so sick until she was 205 00:18:27,19 --> 00:18:33,98 diagnosed with cancer last year me and I'm one of my own mind 206 00:18:33,99 --> 00:18:36,99 plans going into homeless because patients need 207 00:18:36,100 --> 00:18:43,96 a lot of medicine and specially to fight cancer. The government doesn't want 208 00:18:43,97 --> 00:18:47,79 us to know I think cannabis fights cancer. 209 00:18:54,79 --> 00:18:58,90 Earlier this year the National Institute for Health bullies to paper on their 210 00:18:58,91 --> 00:19:05,45 website then noted several studies that demonstrate how cannabis funny Stewart 211 00:19:05,46 --> 00:19:11,79 development then paper was quickly ended to say that cannabis provides only 212 00:19:11,80 --> 00:19:18,71 symptomatic relief for cannabis patients but you can still find references to 213 00:19:18,72 --> 00:19:24,08 designs from medical marijuana and cannabis medical dictionary dot com. 214 00:19:25,54 --> 00:19:25,75 There's 215 00:19:25,76 --> 00:19:33,14 a lot of research out there making oils and other concentrated 216 00:19:33,15 --> 00:19:35,21 Cannabis Madness and requires 217 00:19:35,22 --> 00:19:41,50 a lot more marijuana than most people understand we had the same amount 218 00:19:41,94 --> 00:19:48,80 hundred and thirty four plans and Lana's house last year police raided the home 219 00:19:49,22 --> 00:19:56,15 the day before things giving and they stone ones on them by menace and they 220 00:19:56,16 --> 00:20:00,80 tried to charge me for that but then didn't give up because I had 221 00:20:00,81 --> 00:20:05,88 a strong attorney. However they did not mention the menacing. 222 00:20:07,32 --> 00:20:14,21 Tremendous lines on Leno has been suffering without the medicine 223 00:20:14,22 --> 00:20:17,65 that might have saved her life for more than 224 00:20:17,66 --> 00:20:23,81 a year she is really dying now she stopped eating Last week 225 00:20:24,50 --> 00:20:31,33 she will probably not see Christmas. She 226 00:20:31,34 --> 00:20:37,23 might have been saved but the police destroyed her garden I will spend huge amounts 227 00:20:37,24 --> 00:20:41,71 of money trying to give her the medicine and my own album but it's not been enough 228 00:20:43,87 --> 00:20:44,91 this is not 229 00:20:44,92 --> 00:20:51,55 a political campaign this movement from medical cannabis is about life and 230 00:20:51,56 --> 00:20:58,32 death. I have one more thing to 231 00:20:58,33 --> 00:21:05,26 say the life I am model has been patients have been teachings since before it 232 00:21:05,27 --> 00:21:12,23 was legal. So my friend is not going to shut down no matter 233 00:21:12,24 --> 00:21:19,05 what. Thank you all for coming please make 234 00:21:19,06 --> 00:21:19,76 a phone call. 235 00:21:30,31 --> 00:21:33,85 Thank you to everybody for being here no matter what your position is no matter 236 00:21:33,86 --> 00:21:36,08 what you think of me I'm going to take just 237 00:21:36,09 --> 00:21:40,93 a minute for those of you who are new or faces younger people you probably don't 238 00:21:40,94 --> 00:21:43,85 realize that I'm probably older than a lot of you here but I want to give you 239 00:21:43,86 --> 00:21:45,80 a little bit of my background personally 240 00:21:45,84 --> 00:21:49,06 a lot of you've never met me you've never talked to me you've heard 241 00:21:49,07 --> 00:21:53,74 a lot about me from other people but you don't actually know what's true I started 242 00:21:53,75 --> 00:21:56,94 defending medical marijuana patients back in one thousand nine hundred five when I 243 00:21:56,95 --> 00:21:59,03 went to work for Jeff Stein board I was 244 00:21:59,04 --> 00:22:03,32 a little shocked to see Martin mightiness say in the Seattle P.-I last month that 245 00:22:03,33 --> 00:22:06,84 Jeff was the one who defended him when actually it was me Martin who took your case 246 00:22:06,85 --> 00:22:13,61 to trial it was me who got Thank you. Who got at least eight of the 247 00:22:13,62 --> 00:22:17,04 twelve people we didn't get him all but we got eight of the twelve people to agree 248 00:22:17,05 --> 00:22:21,54 that his eighty eight plants he was growing as homework for his own personal use I 249 00:22:21,55 --> 00:22:27,84 have represented providers who were threatened with federal prosecution if they 250 00:22:27,85 --> 00:22:32,40 didn't plead guilty to felony charges in state court and those providers had to 251 00:22:32,41 --> 00:22:36,59 plead guilty on the day that their patient died because the patients cannabis had 252 00:22:36,60 --> 00:22:42,71 been cut off I have represented patients providers and commercial growers smugglers 253 00:22:42,72 --> 00:22:49,42 from Canada dealers users I was representing people charged with marijuana crimes 254 00:22:49,43 --> 00:22:53,12 people who had their assets taken from them from the government for over 255 00:22:53,13 --> 00:22:55,84 a decade before going to work for the A.C.L.U. 256 00:22:56,60 --> 00:23:00,47 I know what compassion looks like but I also have 257 00:23:00,48 --> 00:23:05,16 a meter that has been finally honed by representing all the people that I represent 258 00:23:05,17 --> 00:23:09,94 in the canvas community so that. Where I'm coming from and I also have 259 00:23:09,95 --> 00:23:15,00 a really strong record of being an effective advocate you may hate me but you can't 260 00:23:15,01 --> 00:23:18,63 ignore that when I started working with Senator Johnny Coles in two thousand and 261 00:23:18,64 --> 00:23:22,46 seven we were able to start getting medical marijuana legislation passed in the 262 00:23:22,47 --> 00:23:29,29 legislature. I served I served on I seventy 263 00:23:29,30 --> 00:23:33,67 five panel and I was actually able to sit down one on one with our former see out 264 00:23:33,68 --> 00:23:35,76 Seattle City Attorney Tom car and get 265 00:23:35,77 --> 00:23:39,54 a consensus report published that all other members of the panel agreed to which 266 00:23:39,55 --> 00:23:42,68 said hey the sky didn't fall and then of course there's five 267 00:23:42,69 --> 00:23:48,52 o two so I tell you all that not to say believe what I say or agree with what I say 268 00:23:48,53 --> 00:23:50,07 between at least acknowledge I know 269 00:23:50,08 --> 00:23:54,40 a little something about being an effective advocate and I'm here honestly to give 270 00:23:54,41 --> 00:23:58,46 you my take on what you need to be thinking about if you want to be as effective as 271 00:23:58,47 --> 00:24:02,28 possible going into the twenty fourteenth session to talk about medical cannabis 272 00:24:03,06 --> 00:24:04,79 volunteers from normal Didn't you 273 00:24:04,80 --> 00:24:07,67 a huge favor and said they would pass out materials I brought materials for you 274 00:24:07,68 --> 00:24:11,48 today because my comments need to be very short in those materials are 275 00:24:11,49 --> 00:24:14,96 a couple things that I think it's important for you to say first of all it's the 276 00:24:14,97 --> 00:24:20,01 actual background from the I five zero two that says what we said about the medical 277 00:24:20,02 --> 00:24:24,39 marijuana law during the campaign it was in writing it's still on the website I 278 00:24:24,40 --> 00:24:27,86 want you to have that so you can see what we're actually saying the second thing 279 00:24:27,87 --> 00:24:31,09 that is in there is what we actually said with the A.C.L.U. 280 00:24:31,10 --> 00:24:34,99 Washington actually said to the Liquor Control Board about its draft 281 00:24:35,00 --> 00:24:40,73 recommendations which is first and foremost protect what Initiative six ninety to 282 00:24:40,81 --> 00:24:46,66 protect it which is patients growing for themselves. And being able to defend 283 00:24:46,67 --> 00:24:50,58 themselves in court no matter how much marijuana they possess those are the two 284 00:24:50,59 --> 00:24:54,44 core protections that our medical marijuana law actually delivered and in that 285 00:24:54,45 --> 00:24:54,92 letter it's 286 00:24:54,93 --> 00:24:59,37 a long seven page letter you will see the actual history of the evolution of our 287 00:24:59,38 --> 00:25:04,12 medical marijuana law and what is actually legal now and what's not the third thing 288 00:25:04,13 --> 00:25:07,92 that's in there is the actual final draft recommendations from the Liquor Control 289 00:25:07,93 --> 00:25:11,60 Board that's available on line but I wanted to make sure that you saw what the 290 00:25:11,61 --> 00:25:15,20 final recommendations from the Liquor Control Board were to the legislature and 291 00:25:15,21 --> 00:25:15,99 finally there's 292 00:25:16,00 --> 00:25:19,67 a one pager on the top that are my suggestions for what you ought to be doing when 293 00:25:19,68 --> 00:25:23,33 you're thinking about talking about medical marijuana to legislators and other 294 00:25:23,34 --> 00:25:29,01 policy makers in the upcoming session. First and foremost focus on the basic 295 00:25:29,05 --> 00:25:34,01 patient rights those are the rights to grow for oneself so that you can grow 296 00:25:34,02 --> 00:25:35,90 whatever strains you want or to designate 297 00:25:35,91 --> 00:25:39,85 a provider to grow for you focus on that patients need to be able to grow their own 298 00:25:39,86 --> 00:25:43,69 medicine and second they need to be able to defend themselves in court regardless 299 00:25:43,70 --> 00:25:48,19 of how much marijuana they possessed that is what our medical marijuana allows at 300 00:25:48,20 --> 00:25:54,83 its core second recognize that engaging in commercial activity 301 00:25:55,09 --> 00:26:01,29 is very different from protecting patient rights that is the key. 302 00:26:02,49 --> 00:26:06,96 I want to tell all of you right now that if you think the debate in the upcoming 303 00:26:06,97 --> 00:26:11,61 session is about medical versus recreational you are missing the boat what the 304 00:26:11,62 --> 00:26:16,54 debate is about is whether or not people are going to continue to be allowed to 305 00:26:16,61 --> 00:26:21,53 engage in commercial activity with no license no regulation and yes they want to 306 00:26:21,54 --> 00:26:25,42 know whether or not you should be able to be required to pay taxes that's going to 307 00:26:25,43 --> 00:26:29,14 be part of the conversation because guess what if you're in business that is part 308 00:26:29,15 --> 00:26:35,63 of the conversation doesn't matter what your business is second or third think 309 00:26:35,64 --> 00:26:41,31 through what is really different about cannabis that's intended primarily for 310 00:26:41,33 --> 00:26:45,90 medical use and cannabis that's intended primarily for non-medical use Think about 311 00:26:45,91 --> 00:26:51,71 what those differences actually are and whether or not those differences require 312 00:26:51,88 --> 00:26:54,92 laws to explain that difference or if it's really 313 00:26:54,92 --> 00:26:59,84 a matter of public education and marketing for an example if I'm drinking 314 00:26:59,85 --> 00:27:04,19 a glass of red wine every day for my heart health is the wine any different if I'm 315 00:27:04,20 --> 00:27:07,67 drinking it because it makes my legs on you taste better those are the those are 316 00:27:07,69 --> 00:27:12,67 the questions that people that aren't in the medical cannabis community have what's 317 00:27:12,69 --> 00:27:16,92 the difference between the two so focus on that and be able to explain that and 318 00:27:16,92 --> 00:27:19,70 articulate that. Also 319 00:27:19,71 --> 00:27:25,09 a lot of you are understanding that if your cannabis product has less than three 320 00:27:25,10 --> 00:27:26,60 tenths of one percent T.H.C. 321 00:27:26,61 --> 00:27:31,37 In it it's not defined as marijuana under our Washington State law anymore what 322 00:27:31,38 --> 00:27:36,88 that means is you can sell those products anywhere but and I five go to store. 323 00:27:38,06 --> 00:27:42,22 So if you've got your high C.B.D. Products that don't have T.H.C. 324 00:27:42,23 --> 00:27:47,56 In them then why are you talking to your neighborhood co-op list homeopathic store 325 00:27:47,67 --> 00:27:52,56 your gas station they can be sold anywhere Urban Outfitters is selling products 326 00:27:52,57 --> 00:27:56,25 that have cannabis in them that has no T.H.C. 327 00:27:56,50 --> 00:28:02,19 You could be doing that now. If you're worried about I know talk to your lawyer 328 00:28:02,20 --> 00:28:06,03 maybe they don't get it if you're worried about the prices and that's 329 00:28:06,04 --> 00:28:07,29 a lot of what I hear Here's 330 00:28:07,30 --> 00:28:10,66 a few things and you'll get this in the faction I'm happy to email the fact sheet 331 00:28:10,67 --> 00:28:16,00 anybody understand that the tax is not seventy five percent it winds up with even 332 00:28:16,01 --> 00:28:20,67 retail sales tax being included as about thirty to forty percent of the total tax 333 00:28:20,96 --> 00:28:25,40 so I understand that piece also understand and acknowledge that current prices 334 00:28:25,96 --> 00:28:27,13 still include 335 00:28:27,17 --> 00:28:31,62 a prohibition risk premium they're still higher than they're going to be in 336 00:28:31,63 --> 00:28:37,06 a legal competitive market and if you really care about patients focus on what is 337 00:28:37,07 --> 00:28:40,72 going to be the price that patients are going to pay with or without the tax if you 338 00:28:40,73 --> 00:28:45,05 want to argue tax exemption like Alex said that's great but you better explain to 339 00:28:45,06 --> 00:28:49,78 legislators that that tax exemption is going to benefit the patients and not you in 340 00:28:49,79 --> 00:28:55,40 other words your prices are going to be thirty to forty percent cheaper than the 341 00:28:55,41 --> 00:28:55,71 five 342 00:28:55,72 --> 00:29:01,81 o two price otherwise otherwise my bullshit meter goes off and I say you just want 343 00:29:01,82 --> 00:29:07,80 to pocket the tax that everyone else has to pay all right. Finally. 344 00:29:09,14 --> 00:29:12,79 Do and I think this is hopefully this is coming through in all of my remarks do 345 00:29:12,80 --> 00:29:13,37 yourself 346 00:29:13,41 --> 00:29:18,84 a favor when you're talking to lawmakers and don't try to play the victim I have 347 00:29:18,85 --> 00:29:23,75 heard frequently it wasn't our fault that the governor vetoed Senate bill fifty 348 00:29:23,76 --> 00:29:27,92 seventy three and we don't have regulation of dispensaries you're right it wasn't 349 00:29:27,93 --> 00:29:32,84 your fault however your responsible for opening a dispensary after the veto it was 350 00:29:32,85 --> 00:29:36,86 a known risk you decided to go into business despite the fact that the governor 351 00:29:36,95 --> 00:29:41,64 vetoed the licensing and regulation of that business and in fact Senator Kohl Wells 352 00:29:41,68 --> 00:29:45,49 introduced a bill ten days after the veto that would have 353 00:29:45,50 --> 00:29:49,77 a limited collective gardens to one per parcel and would have made it so that this 354 00:29:49,92 --> 00:29:54,93 collective garden Safe Access Point business would clearly not have been legal 355 00:29:55,11 --> 00:30:00,03 nobody thought that collective gardens were supposed to reply. Dispensary so just 356 00:30:00,07 --> 00:30:04,06 acknowledge you made the decision you wanted to go into business now you need to 357 00:30:04,07 --> 00:30:05,55 have a conversation as 358 00:30:05,56 --> 00:30:09,68 a professional totally separate from patients need to be able to grow them for 359 00:30:09,69 --> 00:30:13,100 themselves but keep that distinction in mind there's business and there's 360 00:30:14,01 --> 00:30:15,83 compassion in 361 00:30:15,84 --> 00:30:19,65 a good setting they match up but you need to be clear that it is two different 362 00:30:19,66 --> 00:30:25,41 things that you're talking about thank you very much appreciate it thank. You. 363 00:30:28,21 --> 00:30:33,83 Quick background Los Angeles County paramedic bachelor's degree and cell in 364 00:30:33,84 --> 00:30:40,42 molecular biology natural pathic. Doctorate degree from Bast year post 365 00:30:40,43 --> 00:30:45,72 doctorate in functional medicine and I've been practicing functional natural path 366 00:30:45,73 --> 00:30:51,31 again or chronology for seven years in Seattle I really only rattle off all that 367 00:30:51,32 --> 00:30:57,93 educational background one to lend credibility but to let you know that with all 368 00:30:57,94 --> 00:31:03,61 that education it wasn't until two thousand and eleven that I even understood 369 00:31:03,62 --> 00:31:10,62 anything medicinally about cannabis I had no recreational perspective I was 370 00:31:10,63 --> 00:31:17,35 not trained at best year in cannabis my board exams did not include cannabis or 371 00:31:17,36 --> 00:31:22,76 into all the one hundred fifty other herbs and I'm not 372 00:31:22,77 --> 00:31:29,51 a medical patient the seed was planted in two thousand and ten when natural 373 00:31:29,52 --> 00:31:34,80 path physicians were able to be practitioners added to the list of. 374 00:31:36,48 --> 00:31:41,22 Being able to authorize for the use of medicinal cannabis this was actually during 375 00:31:41,23 --> 00:31:47,97 the busiest time of my practice and. I didn't even consider it for 376 00:31:48,01 --> 00:31:49,35 about a year and 377 00:31:49,36 --> 00:31:55,81 a half. And then in two thousand and eleven I was given the opportunity to work at 378 00:31:55,82 --> 00:32:02,53 a clinic doing patient authorizations it was at that time that I 379 00:32:02,54 --> 00:32:09,21 jumped in one hundred percent it was only two weeks of hearing the stories of 380 00:32:09,22 --> 00:32:16,14 patients that I knew this was something big something much larger than myself I 381 00:32:16,15 --> 00:32:22,34 needed to understand this plant completely I took on hundreds of hours of self 382 00:32:22,35 --> 00:32:28,55 study I studied thick bio chemical books of cannabis I 383 00:32:28,56 --> 00:32:34,58 scoured the medical literature I listen to lectures of prominent physicians and 384 00:32:34,59 --> 00:32:41,34 researchers about cannabis I gave each and every patient in the room my best 385 00:32:41,67 --> 00:32:48,27 to twenty to forty minutes in the room I sifted through files and I'm not 386 00:32:48,28 --> 00:32:54,85 kidding file boxes of medical files four to five inches thick 387 00:32:55,12 --> 00:33:01,82 of medical records I'd offer two to five other treatments in the room other than 388 00:33:01,83 --> 00:33:08,56 cannabis based on the condition that they came to me for I stuck to the 389 00:33:08,57 --> 00:33:11,20 list of qualifiable conditions even though as 390 00:33:11,21 --> 00:33:17,09 a doctor I truly believe that list fall short in our state of Washington I've seen 391 00:33:17,10 --> 00:33:22,99 patients from the age of eighteen to ninety two comforting them as they cry both in 392 00:33:23,00 --> 00:33:29,24 pain and in desperation not wanting to get high but just wanting relief 393 00:33:29,78 --> 00:33:36,66 many have never even tried cannabis recreationally. Wheel bound patients 394 00:33:37,23 --> 00:33:40,14 double prosthetic limbs I.E. D. 395 00:33:40,15 --> 00:33:46,85 Blasts severe motor vehicle accidents broken backs farming accidents 396 00:33:47,15 --> 00:33:53,58 bodies with more pens rod since screws than I care to mention seizures 397 00:33:54,06 --> 00:34:00,69 CANCER CANCER CANCER I documented each 398 00:34:00,70 --> 00:34:06,88 patient's journey meticulously in the medical record it's the very least that I 399 00:34:06,89 --> 00:34:13,88 could do and most importantly I documented your words cannabis has saved 400 00:34:13,92 --> 00:34:19,71 my life I can't wait to tell you how much better I'm doing this year as they were 401 00:34:19,71 --> 00:34:21,11 term beaming for 402 00:34:21,12 --> 00:34:26,46 a follow up appointment I'm back to work after two years of my wife being 403 00:34:26,46 --> 00:34:33,10 a sole provider and I've lost eighty pounds yes I hardly recognize you I'm leaving 404 00:34:33,11 --> 00:34:39,39 the house again after being housebound for years I'm off blank 405 00:34:39,43 --> 00:34:45,05 pharmaceutical drugs this year I can tell you that it's usually two to five This 406 00:34:45,06 --> 00:34:51,34 has been documented documented documented my advanced stage prostate 407 00:34:51,35 --> 00:34:58,11 cancer is ninety eight percent gone my urologist has never seen anything like it 408 00:34:58,89 --> 00:35:01,20 this was forty percent C.B.D. 409 00:35:01,21 --> 00:35:07,65 Or oil thank you for those who are making this miraculous medicine I just want to 410 00:35:07,66 --> 00:35:12,96 end with a few statements and opinions I believe recreational users are 411 00:35:12,97 --> 00:35:18,60 a completely different group from medical patients we need to maintain 412 00:35:18,61 --> 00:35:25,25 a safe and separate system that doesn't hurt anyone. The sign says that all 413 00:35:25,58 --> 00:35:32,06 patients need affordable tested pure free of contaminants 414 00:35:32,07 --> 00:35:38,98 medicine I consider the doctor patient relationship sacred what goes on in 415 00:35:38,99 --> 00:35:45,69 the room is between us in my opinion we need to retain collective gardens and 416 00:35:45,70 --> 00:35:52,30 home grows we need to allow people to be compassionate caregivers 417 00:35:53,13 --> 00:35:58,44 people should be allowed to help people this is our fundamental need as human 418 00:35:58,45 --> 00:36:05,36 beings. I'm living proof that cannabis heals I'm standing 419 00:36:05,37 --> 00:36:10,48 up here today I look healthy because I use cannabis you can't see the metal plate 420 00:36:10,49 --> 00:36:14,45 that runs the length of my left leg that's holding my knees together you can't see 421 00:36:14,46 --> 00:36:18,09 the nausea and vomiting that has caused me to lose sixty pounds in the last year 422 00:36:18,66 --> 00:36:24,36 and you can see the insomnia that kept me up until three in the morning cannabis is 423 00:36:24,37 --> 00:36:29,83 what keeps me moving active and functional You heard Senator Kohl Wells tell you 424 00:36:29,84 --> 00:36:35,07 about what's waiting for us in Olympia and Allison Holcomb confirmed that they are 425 00:36:35,08 --> 00:36:41,25 looking to repeal our medical marijuana law potentially and it's not enough to say 426 00:36:41,26 --> 00:36:45,97 hell no and to say that we don't like it we have to be able to clearly articulate 427 00:36:46,06 --> 00:36:51,60 what it is that we want from them so I've gone around the state and I've been 428 00:36:51,61 --> 00:36:54,23 talking to stakeholders and I've been talking to 429 00:36:54,24 --> 00:36:59,23 a lot of you in this room to find out where our common ground is we all want home 430 00:36:59,24 --> 00:37:04,69 grows we all want cooperative cultivation and we all believe that the affirmative 431 00:37:04,70 --> 00:37:08,47 defense the cornerstone of our law that was passed in one thousand nine hundred 432 00:37:08,48 --> 00:37:14,61 eighty eight must stay in place no matter what. There shouldn't be any restrictions 433 00:37:14,62 --> 00:37:18,75 on the doctor patient relationship doctors need flexibility to modify their 434 00:37:18,76 --> 00:37:22,66 treatment plans based on their one on one relationships with individual patients. 435 00:37:23,47 --> 00:37:27,00 And we need civil protections just like any other prescription medication 436 00:37:27,25 --> 00:37:31,56 protections for organ transplants protection for housing and employment protections 437 00:37:31,57 --> 00:37:34,25 from court supervision and P.T.S.D. 438 00:37:34,26 --> 00:37:40,42 Needs to be added to the list. We don't need 439 00:37:40,46 --> 00:37:46,70 a registry it's legal in this state if you don't have to register to buy your 440 00:37:46,74 --> 00:37:49,54 marijuana from a store or recreationally them why would 441 00:37:49,55 --> 00:37:56,10 a patient have to register. And we do 442 00:37:56,11 --> 00:38:02,75 not tax medicine in this state just last week cannabis was added to the American 443 00:38:02,76 --> 00:38:07,28 herbal pharmacopeia as an official botanical medicine. 444 00:38:11,41 --> 00:38:16,89 That's thanks to the work of our partners at Americans for Safe Access and you know 445 00:38:16,90 --> 00:38:20,82 it mirrors an exemption that we already have in law in this state which says that 446 00:38:20,83 --> 00:38:25,28 any medicine animal botanical or mineral that is recommended by 447 00:38:25,29 --> 00:38:32,02 a doctor should not be taxed sales use or excise cannabis is no different 448 00:38:34,03 --> 00:38:38,04 and lastly we want to licensing and regulatory framework just like five 449 00:38:38,05 --> 00:38:42,78 o two our commercial businesses need some protection they want licenses and they 450 00:38:42,79 --> 00:38:47,63 want regulations eighty of them in this state are paying taxes not because the law 451 00:38:47,64 --> 00:38:52,84 says they have to because they want to they deserve to have 452 00:38:52,85 --> 00:38:56,68 a licensing and regulatory framework there's three hundred of these businesses 453 00:38:56,69 --> 00:39:01,80 right here in the city of Seattle and if we fold them all into five O two that's 454 00:39:01,81 --> 00:39:05,41 three hundred businesses that are going to exist I want you to think about all the 455 00:39:05,42 --> 00:39:09,90 commercial real estate that's currently occupied by cannabis businesses and imagine 456 00:39:09,91 --> 00:39:14,64 it vacant that's what the legislature wants to do by forcing us into the five zero 457 00:39:14,65 --> 00:39:20,76 two System five zero two stores won't work for us they don't exist and when they do 458 00:39:20,80 --> 00:39:23,78 they are going to have the products that we need and certainly they're not going to 459 00:39:23,79 --> 00:39:28,63 be at the prices we can afford. But we can't afford to wait for the five 460 00:39:28,64 --> 00:39:34,17 o two stores to open and then fix this problem the federal government has said that 461 00:39:34,18 --> 00:39:38,06 our medical marijuana program is untenable in light of the new coal memo that was 462 00:39:38,07 --> 00:39:41,80 issued so will the rest of the states we're talking about the coal memo giving us 463 00:39:41,81 --> 00:39:45,42 a green light to move forward with commercial production our U.S. 464 00:39:45,43 --> 00:39:49,47 Attorneys here in Washington said that that was an excuse to wipe out our medical 465 00:39:49,60 --> 00:39:53,91 marijuana program and the cities and counties have said if the feds don't do it 466 00:39:53,92 --> 00:39:56,90 they will the city of Seattle has said you need 467 00:39:56,91 --> 00:40:01,40 a medical marijuana license by January first two thousand and fifteen that license 468 00:40:01,41 --> 00:40:04,43 does not exist right now if we do not provide 469 00:40:04,44 --> 00:40:08,69 a regulatory framework for people to get those licenses there will not be any 470 00:40:08,70 --> 00:40:13,50 access points in the city of Seattle and that's why the legislature is taking 471 00:40:13,51 --> 00:40:17,73 action on this and they are taking action they didn't ask three state agencies to 472 00:40:17,74 --> 00:40:22,36 make recommendations so they could ignore those recommendations they asked for 473 00:40:22,37 --> 00:40:23,94 recommendations because they're going to pass 474 00:40:23,95 --> 00:40:28,76 a law this year so we better be able to again clearly articulate what it is we want 475 00:40:28,77 --> 00:40:32,16 from them and what it is that's wrong with what they're trying to do to us 476 00:40:38,10 --> 00:40:43,17 obviously freedom isn't free we all have to fight for it the healthy for Happy Hour 477 00:40:43,18 --> 00:40:44,23 campaign is 478 00:40:44,24 --> 00:40:48,60 a way for all of you to easily plug in and take action it's already backed up by 479 00:40:48,61 --> 00:40:52,11 people like Americans for Safe Access the Center for the Study of cannabis and 480 00:40:52,12 --> 00:40:56,91 Social Policy Coalition for cannabis standards and ethics and many many others the 481 00:40:56,92 --> 00:41:00,75 vast majority of this community have said we cannot wait until two thousand and 482 00:41:00,76 --> 00:41:06,34 fifteen for legislation we want it now in January so if you want to learn more 483 00:41:06,35 --> 00:41:09,88 about that you can go to healthy for happy hour dot org There's also fliers that 484 00:41:09,89 --> 00:41:12,96 are being handed out there at the tables at the front and Melissa has some has 485 00:41:12,97 --> 00:41:17,54 a back there and lastly join us at our fundraiser immediately following this event 486 00:41:18,01 --> 00:41:24,06 where you can also learn more up brought with me today Atlanta ally This is my tea 487 00:41:24,07 --> 00:41:26,24 tree oil and I'm treating 488 00:41:26,28 --> 00:41:32,88 a fungus on my fingernail with it. I brought another plant because I heard that 489 00:41:32,89 --> 00:41:33,09 there's 490 00:41:33,10 --> 00:41:37,48 a horrible something or other going around up here in Seattle and I'm living in San 491 00:41:37,49 --> 00:41:40,31 Diego now didn't want to get sick and so this is 492 00:41:40,32 --> 00:41:45,37 a it's called Stamets seven immune support it's made with mushrooms are we here 493 00:41:45,38 --> 00:41:50,83 today for any of these plants know why not it's 494 00:41:50,84 --> 00:41:52,58 a great question because cannabis is 495 00:41:52,59 --> 00:41:57,08 a potential medicine and like Kerry just said I was 496 00:41:57,09 --> 00:42:01,91 a law is on for Americans for Safe Access and worked with Roy Upton on producing 497 00:42:01,92 --> 00:42:06,08 the cannabis monograph which has been adopted by the state of Washington looks like 498 00:42:06,09 --> 00:42:10,69 it's going to be adopted also by the state of Oregon to God quality assurance and 499 00:42:10,70 --> 00:42:17,34 quality control and what this has been is an effort to bring cannabis in as 500 00:42:17,35 --> 00:42:21,19 a botanical medicine the botanical industry has worked 501 00:42:21,20 --> 00:42:26,70 a long time towards self-regulation and this document is one of several That's 502 00:42:26,71 --> 00:42:33,42 being use to help the rest of the industry learn how to self regulate what I really 503 00:42:33,43 --> 00:42:36,82 wanted to say is that I'm here today because of 504 00:42:36,83 --> 00:42:43,75 a woman who walked into my office debilitating pain her entire life she was making 505 00:42:43,76 --> 00:42:47,31 her own wine is what she told me drinking a bottle 506 00:42:47,32 --> 00:42:51,74 a day she had agoraphobia could hardly leave her house I wrote her 507 00:42:51,75 --> 00:42:57,67 a cannabis recommendation thanks to Dr jean to Senator Kohl wells that she expanded 508 00:42:57,68 --> 00:43:04,46 the providers who could recommend cannabis to patients. This woman overcame 509 00:43:04,50 --> 00:43:07,54 a level of her agoraphobia and she quit drinking a bottle 510 00:43:07,55 --> 00:43:10,19 a day of homemade wine and I consider that 511 00:43:10,42 --> 00:43:16,13 a significant impact on her health and quality of life I'm here for another patient 512 00:43:16,59 --> 00:43:21,82 that was on about five or six different pain medications she had left her bad since 513 00:43:21,83 --> 00:43:22,78 giving birth 514 00:43:22,82 --> 00:43:27,50 a number of years previously couldn't care for her family at all quit cold turkey 515 00:43:27,51 --> 00:43:31,06 these medications started using cannabis and is 516 00:43:31,07 --> 00:43:36,28 a fully functioning adult out of bed every morning bouncing out of bed at seven 517 00:43:36,29 --> 00:43:40,00 o'clock running her household. I'm here because of 518 00:43:40,01 --> 00:43:45,12 a woman debilitated by multiple sclerosis and thereby addicted to bins a die as 519 00:43:45,13 --> 00:43:48,95 a pains and if anybody knows anything about benzodiazepines withdrawal it's 520 00:43:48,96 --> 00:43:54,65 horrible she's been able to significantly come off of that drug and onto 521 00:43:54,66 --> 00:43:56,25 a cannabis Friday and live 522 00:43:56,29 --> 00:44:01,04 a more normal life than she had before and finally I'm here today because I've been 523 00:44:01,05 --> 00:44:07,55 the Dr to children pediatric patients. This is what breaks my heart the 524 00:44:07,56 --> 00:44:08,34 most as 525 00:44:08,35 --> 00:44:14,28 a doctor I always thought I wanted to care for suffering people and it's painful to 526 00:44:14,29 --> 00:44:18,88 watch people suffer and watch your patients suffer there are children that it's 527 00:44:18,89 --> 00:44:19,65 been stated we have 528 00:44:19,66 --> 00:44:24,86 a parent here today that have been suffering from debilitating seizure disorders 529 00:44:25,07 --> 00:44:25,61 that can add 530 00:44:25,62 --> 00:44:30,91 a dial rich variety of helping their oncology pediatric patients I have 531 00:44:30,92 --> 00:44:35,69 a five five year old patient he's not directly in my care but I've been in 532 00:44:35,78 --> 00:44:40,65 communication with his father and this is what his father said after administering 533 00:44:40,69 --> 00:44:46,58 my child so much poison I can't explain how it feels knowing that I'm giving him 534 00:44:46,59 --> 00:44:52,62 something that's good for him so we can always clinically measure the effects of 535 00:44:52,63 --> 00:44:56,49 cannabis on somebody is alive what it means for some of these parents is that they 536 00:44:56,50 --> 00:45:02,34 sleep through the night for the first time in years we don't value quality of life 537 00:45:02,38 --> 00:45:08,30 enough and the potential for this plant and many others to bring quality of life to 538 00:45:08,31 --> 00:45:15,29 human beings. So what all these patients have in common and 539 00:45:15,30 --> 00:45:19,56 with many of you here in this room is that they're not black marketeers they're not 540 00:45:19,57 --> 00:45:24,66 gray marketeers they're not marketeers at all they're patients and I agree with 541 00:45:24,67 --> 00:45:28,56 Thousand Holcombe that the movement has largely piggybacked onto the medical 542 00:45:28,57 --> 00:45:34,94 patients movement and now is not the time to throw these patients under the bus. So 543 00:45:34,95 --> 00:45:40,56 I thought about it too is confirmed what that cannabis is for everybody right 544 00:45:40,65 --> 00:45:45,00 anybody over the age of twenty one or aged twenty one and up can walk in 545 00:45:45,01 --> 00:45:50,12 a store and buy it is it really can grew it to say that if you want to use it as 546 00:45:50,13 --> 00:45:53,53 a medicine you have to go jump through a bunch of hurdles and live under 547 00:45:53,54 --> 00:45:56,58 a police state with your name on a registry as 548 00:45:56,59 --> 00:46:01,53 a doctor I see an income truancy there I also see an intruder and see that the 549 00:46:01,57 --> 00:46:04,67 money collected is going to go for studying it as 550 00:46:04,68 --> 00:46:08,36 a drug of addiction which is the same stigma that's been imposed upon us by the 551 00:46:08,37 --> 00:46:12,36 federal government it's time that we're able to study this as 552 00:46:12,37 --> 00:46:17,58 a therapeutic compound for our patients. And 553 00:46:17,59 --> 00:46:24,45 thought on. So at the Center for the Study of cannabis and 554 00:46:24,46 --> 00:46:28,62 social policy we're looking at ways to implement an I.R.B. 555 00:46:28,63 --> 00:46:30,02 Which is what you have to do to have 556 00:46:30,03 --> 00:46:35,06 a valid human clinical study we're interested in the natural history of pay people 557 00:46:35,07 --> 00:46:38,60 using the natural plant and what's available to them in their own lookout he just 558 00:46:38,61 --> 00:46:43,14 like we use many other plants so we're all navigating these turbulent waters 559 00:46:43,15 --> 00:46:47,26 together and I've just learned to serve since I've moved to San Diego and sometimes 560 00:46:47,27 --> 00:46:48,16 you've got you have 561 00:46:48,17 --> 00:46:53,21 a Northwest swell interfacing with the Southwest and I'll tell you what it's not 562 00:46:53,22 --> 00:46:56,26 easy to catch a ride on those waves but but we're on 563 00:46:56,27 --> 00:47:00,07 a wave and we've got to catch we gotta catch a ride Washington has got to be 564 00:47:00,22 --> 00:47:03,75 a light here and I think we got the beginnings of it and we maybe there's 565 00:47:03,76 --> 00:47:08,29 a long tunnel to go through but it's some of us are not the garden and some of us 566 00:47:08,30 --> 00:47:13,29 that we were all a week here we're all here for a plant called cannabis and it's 567 00:47:13,30 --> 00:47:19,88 a weed and anybody should be able to grow weed in their backyard. And in 568 00:47:19,89 --> 00:47:24,10 closing I just wanted to this Tom Waits lyric that I like to says pin your ear to 569 00:47:24,11 --> 00:47:29,12 the wisdom post pin your eye to the line never let the weeds get higher than the 570 00:47:29,13 --> 00:47:32,83 garden and always keep a Saffar always keep 571 00:47:32,84 --> 00:47:39,67 a diamond in your mind. Washington 572 00:47:39,68 --> 00:47:46,01 State Liquor Control Board wants to kill medical marijuana this isn't thinly veiled 573 00:47:46,02 --> 00:47:52,78 contempt they clearly want to put an end to it and the new proposals are 574 00:47:52,82 --> 00:47:56,76 essentially making medical marijuana small enough so that they can drown it in 575 00:47:56,77 --> 00:48:02,43 about three inches of water and so what are we going to do you have several 576 00:48:02,44 --> 00:48:06,83 different people coming up here each one has their own proposal if you are looking 577 00:48:07,21 --> 00:48:11,46 for somebody on this stage to fix this problem you have made 578 00:48:11,47 --> 00:48:18,40 a huge mistake you are the community. You are the people that are going to stop 579 00:48:18,41 --> 00:48:23,98 this if you do not rise to this occasion then it will fail they only have one 580 00:48:23,99 --> 00:48:27,54 person to listen to right now Washington State Liquor Control Board that is it 581 00:48:27,72 --> 00:48:30,91 that's the only proposal on the table other people are coming up with other 582 00:48:30,92 --> 00:48:36,63 proposals if you want to join them fine the truth is that as activists we live in 583 00:48:36,64 --> 00:48:41,62 absolute truths that means it's difficult for us to step out of our own shoes and 584 00:48:41,63 --> 00:48:46,53 look at the view of other people and try and incorporate those views to come to 585 00:48:46,54 --> 00:48:52,82 a conclusion that's fine with me that's fine but do something if you guys do not 586 00:48:52,83 --> 00:48:56,61 pick up the phone and call your legislators this session one person represents 587 00:48:56,62 --> 00:48:58,84 about one hundred people one hundred people represents 588 00:48:58,85 --> 00:49:02,81 a thousand so on and so on if you do not pick up your phone and call your 589 00:49:02,82 --> 00:49:08,45 legislator this session you're failing your failing if you expect us to do it this 590 00:49:08,46 --> 00:49:12,78 is only about twenty twenty five people coming up to talk it's not enough it has to 591 00:49:12,79 --> 00:49:17,61 be all of you I always every opportunity I get where I speak publicly I like to 592 00:49:17,62 --> 00:49:21,53 have everybody hold up their telephone so if you brought your cell phone and I know 593 00:49:21,54 --> 00:49:26,35 there's more cell phones than people in here so hold up your cell phone for me all 594 00:49:26,36 --> 00:49:30,52 right that's that's enough people to make me happy now you can type in this number 595 00:49:30,53 --> 00:49:37,36 ready three six zero. Nine zero to go slow for those of you 596 00:49:37,37 --> 00:49:43,95 medicated three six zero nine zero two four one one one 597 00:49:45,07 --> 00:49:48,61 if you guys get that that's the governor's office you guys give him 598 00:49:48,62 --> 00:49:53,19 a call I can't give you his private cell but please feel free to give him 599 00:49:53,20 --> 00:49:57,84 a call to he's not in today so wait till monday make sure he hears from you guys 600 00:49:57,85 --> 00:50:01,79 let him know I don't again you guys represent the people that put them in office 601 00:50:02,06 --> 00:50:05,90 and when you talk to your legislative assistants and you talk to your legislators 602 00:50:05,91 --> 00:50:11,58 you remind them that medical marijuana it polls better than recreational marijuana 603 00:50:11,69 --> 00:50:16,82 and it polls better than Republicans and it polls better than Democrats thanks 604 00:50:17,24 --> 00:50:17,48 there's been 605 00:50:17,49 --> 00:50:22,95 a couple of people have made reference to me so far today my name's Ryan Day. I'm 606 00:50:22,96 --> 00:50:26,83 not really significant of myself the only reason I'm here is because of my son 607 00:50:26,84 --> 00:50:32,62 Hayden hedonist five years old yesterday syndrome it's very rare and catastrophic 608 00:50:32,63 --> 00:50:36,50 form of epilepsy and on a normal day Hayden has over one hundred seizures 609 00:50:36,51 --> 00:50:43,35 a day. We certainly watch as he slowly has seizure after seizure after 610 00:50:43,36 --> 00:50:48,26 seizure and jerks himself to the ground. You know we've been lucky so far that we 611 00:50:48,27 --> 00:50:49,06 haven't had to put him in 612 00:50:49,07 --> 00:50:55,14 a helmet although we've had that suggestion made. I'm really lucky to be here to be 613 00:50:55,15 --> 00:50:59,92 able to tell you that about two and a half months ago we started Hayden and C.B.D. 614 00:51:00,55 --> 00:51:02,41 We use a C.B.D. 615 00:51:02,42 --> 00:51:08,80 Extract from medical marijuana and it is been miraculous 616 00:51:09,30 --> 00:51:14,62 Hayden on most days now doesn't have any seizures that we can see none that we can 617 00:51:14,63 --> 00:51:21,37 detect. And Hayden 618 00:51:21,38 --> 00:51:26,38 had been developmentally stuck at about two years old for the last three years he 619 00:51:26,39 --> 00:51:32,06 just turned five last month. Hayden is starting to develop again he's starting to 620 00:51:32,07 --> 00:51:35,99 make connections he is starting to use new words he's starting to put words 621 00:51:36,00 --> 00:51:41,70 together my son is coming out of his epileptic case. 622 00:51:43,18 --> 00:51:48,89 And it's just been an amazing thing to see and you know we started this and I got 623 00:51:48,90 --> 00:51:53,91 my growing tent set up because there's no way we can afford this to buy even 624 00:51:53,92 --> 00:51:58,18 dispensary prices I mean the fact of the matter is Hayden requires about an ounce 625 00:51:58,19 --> 00:52:04,07 of week in medicine and at roughly three hundred dollars an ounce it's over ten 626 00:52:04,08 --> 00:52:04,67 thousand dollars 627 00:52:04,68 --> 00:52:08,93 a year that it would cost our family you hear about families with medical insurance 628 00:52:08,94 --> 00:52:10,81 going bankrupt that's 629 00:52:10,82 --> 00:52:15,15 a family like ours we maxed out our co-pay every year and we max it out on the 630 00:52:15,16 --> 00:52:22,10 credit card. So we need to grow and I started growing and suddenly I saw that the 631 00:52:22,11 --> 00:52:26,11 Liquor Control Board was threatening to take away that right to home grow the only 632 00:52:26,12 --> 00:52:30,43 way that I could do this I don't know how many of you are parents out there but the 633 00:52:30,44 --> 00:52:34,37 fact of the matter is legal or illegal I'm going to do what I have to for my son. 634 00:52:37,18 --> 00:52:40,31 And that's very scary and that's something that I hope that's 635 00:52:40,32 --> 00:52:45,74 a decision that I hope I won't have to make and I hope that our legislators will 636 00:52:45,75 --> 00:52:51,14 hear from patients like everybody here and stakeholders and say we need to make 637 00:52:51,15 --> 00:52:52,49 sure that that we have 638 00:52:52,50 --> 00:52:58,26 a reasonable policy in place but I want to tell you also that I'm new to this 639 00:52:58,27 --> 00:53:03,02 entire culture I've never done drugs in my life I was a U.S. 640 00:53:03,03 --> 00:53:06,30 Marine I was considered pretty altar conservative and in 641 00:53:06,31 --> 00:53:10,64 a lot of circles but I'm here because I believe in this and I believe that what 642 00:53:10,68 --> 00:53:14,60 you're all fighting for is right but I also want to tell you that you need to 643 00:53:14,61 --> 00:53:19,71 really stop and think about how you're viewed by the other side we need to work 644 00:53:19,72 --> 00:53:22,39 with them we are we are 645 00:53:22,40 --> 00:53:28,37 a minority we are not in the majority and if people look at us as the Tea Party of 646 00:53:28,38 --> 00:53:33,59 medical marijuana we're going to lose period I actually work as 647 00:53:33,60 --> 00:53:37,50 a lobbyist and an advocacy professional This is what I do for 648 00:53:37,51 --> 00:53:42,57 a living and I'm telling you we need to be reasonable we do need to compromise 649 00:53:42,58 --> 00:53:47,86 sometimes not all the way but we need to compromise sometimes and we need to make 650 00:53:47,87 --> 00:53:52,61 sure that people don't see as this crazy is that can be written off that they see 651 00:53:52,62 --> 00:53:58,54 us as patients they see us as caregivers they see us as people who care I want to 652 00:53:58,55 --> 00:54:04,79 tell you that Alex Cooley who spoke here earlier this man cares he's doing he 653 00:54:04,80 --> 00:54:10,70 donates medicine to all sorts of people micro isn't started yet but Alex donated 654 00:54:10,71 --> 00:54:14,18 medicine to my son so that we could start him on C.B.D. 655 00:54:14,19 --> 00:54:21,17 And we would not lose another day to seizures. Thank you he's not the only 656 00:54:21,18 --> 00:54:28,14 one Dax at new leaf who's the maker of Dhamma oil has donated medicine to dozens of 657 00:54:28,15 --> 00:54:31,90 families whose children have a syndrome there is 658 00:54:31,91 --> 00:54:37,91 a vibrant medical community of producers and processors and people who care they're 659 00:54:37,92 --> 00:54:41,95 not growing marijuana and selling it to get rich they're growing marijuana and 660 00:54:41,96 --> 00:54:46,73 selling it so they can afford to help people and it's important that we don't lose 661 00:54:46,74 --> 00:54:53,35 them we don't lose that community thank you because when they go 662 00:54:53,36 --> 00:54:57,55 away if they go away all we're going to be left with those 663 00:54:57,56 --> 00:55:02,24 a for profit retail stores where it's only about turning the product and they're 664 00:55:02,25 --> 00:55:05,55 not going to care if they if they carry the product that's right for 665 00:55:05,56 --> 00:55:08,08 a little boy with seizures they're going to carry 666 00:55:08,09 --> 00:55:12,66 a product that's going to turn the fastest and make them the most money so I just 667 00:55:12,67 --> 00:55:17,14 hope that we can all work together and you've heard people talk about unity and 668 00:55:17,15 --> 00:55:22,46 you've also heard people bashing each other up here and you bash each other you're 669 00:55:22,47 --> 00:55:26,79 weakening us and we're going to lose there's no ifs ands or buts about it we will 670 00:55:27,41 --> 00:55:34,14 so let's try for little boys like my son Hayden and for all the 671 00:55:34,15 --> 00:55:37,88 patients who are here cannabis is saving their life because if we don't work 672 00:55:37,89 --> 00:55:44,61 together we're all going to lose Thank you. What will 673 00:55:44,62 --> 00:55:46,63 happen when we can provide cannabis in 674 00:55:46,64 --> 00:55:52,02 a high quantifiable highly bioavailable form with little or no toxicity issues when 675 00:55:52,03 --> 00:55:54,70 we complex that the federal government will listen to what we have to say because 676 00:55:54,71 --> 00:55:58,68 we're speaking their language the language of science we face 677 00:55:58,69 --> 00:56:01,86 a myriad of challenges in our pursuit of answers the greatest challenge being the 678 00:56:01,87 --> 00:56:04,55 current legal suppression of research along with 679 00:56:04,56 --> 00:56:07,74 a social stigma attached to the psychoactive effects of T.H.C. 680 00:56:09,22 --> 00:56:12,93 Our team of cannabis Bio Sciences has been working to overcome the current 681 00:56:12,94 --> 00:56:16,89 limitations associated with the delivery of essential cannabinoids to the body. 682 00:56:17,77 --> 00:56:22,21 Specifically providing antioxidants in the form the body that recognizes at 683 00:56:22,22 --> 00:56:23,16 a highly Biovail of 684 00:56:23,17 --> 00:56:28,76 a level low bioavailability in antioxidants producing cannabis was 685 00:56:28,77 --> 00:56:33,66 a major obstacle to overcome we surpassed this obstacle by utilizing revolutionary 686 00:56:33,77 --> 00:56:38,73 patented technologies in our extraction process this extraordinary science enables 687 00:56:38,74 --> 00:56:44,14 us to extract an accident found in Cannabis of the nanoparticle size when we can 688 00:56:44,19 --> 00:56:45,33 provide antioxidants and 689 00:56:45,34 --> 00:56:48,50 a nanoparticle form that dramatically increases the scavenging 690 00:56:48,51 --> 00:56:52,77 a free radicals while decreasing the necessary dose required to be effective by 691 00:56:52,78 --> 00:56:57,03 many times the currently available products on the market thus creating medicines 692 00:56:57,04 --> 00:57:00,74 that are smaller doses while being more effective at an affordable price for the 693 00:57:00,75 --> 00:57:05,95 public the opportunity to deliver free radical scavenging is improved by 694 00:57:05,96 --> 00:57:10,54 nanoparticle and accidents giving us the ability to address debilitating illnesses 695 00:57:10,55 --> 00:57:15,84 such as cancer viruses and disorders so when you pose 696 00:57:15,84 --> 00:57:19,41 a question the cannabis bio science team is there room in Washington state for 697 00:57:19,43 --> 00:57:24,24 social and medicinal marijuana we pose the question back is there room for 698 00:57:24,24 --> 00:57:29,28 a stable quantifiable but panicle drug that meets F.D.A. 699 00:57:29,29 --> 00:57:33,14 Criteria in the state of Washington we say yes yes there is.